A vascular lumen simulation platform

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of cell electrochemistry, and discloses a blood vessel cavity simulation platform, which comprises a fluid mechanics flow cavity base, a conductive film positioning base plate, a cell-bearing conductive film, an upper cover, and a signal leading electrode. The fluid mechanics flow cavity base is provided with a flow cavity with an open upper end. The flow cavity is connected with a first channel and a second channel at two ends respectively. The conductive film positioning base plate is arranged in the flow cavity. The cell-bearing conductive film is fixed to the conductive film positioning base plate. The upper cover is connected with the upper end of the fluid mechanics flow cavity base through a sealing ring to cover the flow cavity. One end of the signal leading electrode is connected with the cell-bearing conductive film, and the other end is sealed and passes through the upper cover through a signal leading through hole arranged on the upper cover. The present application can simulate the real-time collection of potential signals under the condition of blood flow in the human body, so that the collected data is closer to the real scene, and meanwhile, the flow field stress size can be changed to meet the sampling needs of different environment simulation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cell electrochemistry technology, and in particular to a vascular cavity simulation platform. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional research, cell potentials can only be cultured statically, followed by sampling at different time points and zones. Existing blood flow chambers are all based on simulating real blood flow conditions and blood supply issues, using three-dimensional calculations to obtain evaluation results. This approach is limited to modeling and computation. In other words, current technology lacks a device capable of acquiring potential signals in real time while realistically simulating blood flow within the human body. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a vascular cavity simulation platform that breaks through the traditional experimental methods, can collect potential signals in real time under the simulation of blood flow in the human body, so that the collected data is closer to the real scene, and can also change the magnitude of flow field stress to meet the sampling requirements of different environmental simulations.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] This invention provides a vascular cavity simulation platform, comprising:

[0006] A fluid dynamics flow cavity base, wherein a flow cavity with an open top is provided inside the fluid dynamics flow cavity base, and a first channel and a second channel are respectively connected to the two ends of the flow cavity;

[0007] A conductive film positioning substrate is disposed within the flow cavity;

[0008] A cell-supported conductive membrane is fixed to a conductive membrane positioning substrate;

[0009] The upper cover is connected to the upper end of the fluid dynamic flow cavity base via a sealing ring to seal the flow cavity;

[0010] A signal output electrode is provided, with one end connected to the cell-bearing conductive membrane and the other end sealed through a signal output through-hole on the top cover.

[0011] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vascular cavity simulation platform, at least one laminar flow groove and at least one turbulent flow groove are provided on the conductive film positioning substrate, and at least two cell-bearing conductive films are provided, with at least one cell-bearing conductive film provided in the laminar flow groove and at least one cell-bearing conductive film provided in the turbulent flow groove.

[0012] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vascular cavity simulation platform, the laminar flow groove has a length of 8-12 mm and a width of 4-6 mm; the turbulent flow groove has a semi-circular radius of 4-6 mm and a length of 8-12 mm.

[0013] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vascular cavity simulation platform, at least two laminar flow grooves and at least two turbulent flow grooves are provided on the conductive membrane positioning substrate. The laminar flow grooves and turbulent flow grooves are arranged on the conductive membrane positioning substrate in a uniformly spaced manner, and each laminar flow groove and each turbulent flow groove is provided with a cell-bearing conductive membrane.

[0014] Preferably, the aforementioned vascular cavity simulation platform further includes a fluid inlet power unit, a control unit, and a flow rate sensor. The fluid inlet power unit is connected to the first channel or the second channel to provide power for injecting fluid into the flow cavity. The signal output terminal of the control unit is connected to the signal input terminal of the fluid inlet power unit. The flow rate sensor is used to collect the flow rate signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane. The signal output terminal of the flow rate sensor is connected to the signal input terminal of the control unit to feed the flow rate signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane to the control unit. The control unit is used to calculate the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane based on the flow rate signal, and to control the fluid inlet power unit to operate based on a set shear stress threshold, so that the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane is within the set shear stress threshold range.

[0015] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vascular cavity simulation platform, when the cell-bearing conductive membrane is disposed in the laminar flow groove, the shear stress at the cell-bearing conductive membrane is calculated as the laminar flow shear stress based on the flow velocity signal at the cell-bearing conductive membrane, and the control unit calculates the laminar flow shear stress using the following formula:

[0016]

[0017] In the formula, F1 represents the laminar shear stress, μ represents the liquid viscosity coefficient, and u x1 y1 represents the relative velocity of the liquid plane in the laminar flow groove, and y1 represents the thickness of the liquid surface in the laminar flow groove.

[0018] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vascular cavity simulation platform, when the cell-supported conductive membrane is disposed in the turbulent groove, the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane is calculated as the turbulent shear stress based on the flow velocity signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane, and the control unit calculates the turbulent shear stress using the following formula:

[0019]

[0020] In the formula, μ is the viscosity coefficient of the liquid, u xThe value represents the relative velocity of the liquid plane in the turbulent groove, y represents the thickness of the liquid surface in the turbulent groove, ρ is the liquid density, and l is the path of the turbulent molecules in the vertical direction.

[0021] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vascular cavity simulation platform, the fluid dynamic flow cavity base and the upper cover are respectively provided with the same number of first mounting holes and second mounting holes, and also include fastening bolts with the same number of first mounting holes and second mounting holes. The fastening bolts tightly assemble the fluid dynamic flow cavity base and the upper cover through the first mounting holes and the second mounting holes.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0023] This invention provides a platform that combines and transforms real hemodynamic signals with electrochemical signals, converting intangible mechanical sensing into real-time monitored electrical information, which can quickly and accurately reflect the state of blood flow endothelium and make it possible to visualize routine cell state monitoring under physiological conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vascular cavity simulation platform according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic component connections of a water sampling unit in a blood vessel simulation platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure label:

[0028] 1. Fluid dynamics flow chamber base; 101. Flow chamber; 102. First channel; 103. Second channel; 104. ; 2. Conductive film positioning substrate; 201. Laminar flow groove; 202. Turbulent flow groove; 3. Cell-supported conductive film; 4. Top cover; 401. ; 402. ; 5. Signal output electrode; 6. Sealing ring; 7. Liquid inlet power unit; 8. Control unit; 9. Flow rate sensor; 10. Fastening bolts. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features described therein can be combined with each other.

[0030] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "head," "tail," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] This invention provides a vascular cavity simulation platform, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the vascular cavity simulation platform includes a fluid dynamic flow cavity base 1, a conductive membrane positioning substrate 2, a cell-bearing conductive membrane 3, a top cover 4, and a signal output electrode 5. The fluid dynamic flow cavity base 1 is provided with a flow cavity 101 with an open top end. The two ends of the flow cavity 101 are respectively connected to a first channel 102 and a second channel 103. The conductive membrane positioning substrate 2 is disposed in the flow cavity 101. The cell-bearing conductive membrane 3 is fixed to the conductive membrane positioning substrate 2. The top cover 4 is connected to the upper end of the fluid dynamic flow cavity base 1 through a sealing ring 6 to seal the flow cavity 101. One end of the signal output electrode 5 is connected to the cell-bearing conductive membrane 3, and the other end passes through the signal output through hole 401 provided on the top cover 4.

[0034] In this embodiment, the vascular cavity simulation platform can simulate the cell potential signals under real blood flow conditions. Specifically, the cell-bearing conductive membrane 3 is used to carry a set number of cells, and a liquid with a constant velocity can flow into the flow cavity 101. The flow of the liquid in the flow cavity 101 is used to simulate the flow of blood. The liquid can be, for example, a liquid with similar physical properties to blood. Similar physical properties refer to the selected liquid having the same flow characteristics as normal blood; common examples include TL2, TL3, TL4, and artificial blood plasma substitutes. By adjusting the liquid flow rate in the flow cavity 101, cell potential signals under different liquid flow rates can be obtained. The cell potential signal refers to the electrical signal extracted by the signal extraction electrode 5 under liquid flow conditions. This electrical signal can be detected by a corresponding electronic detection device, which includes, but is not limited to, a potentiometer.

[0035] The overall structure of the vascular cavity simulation platform is reasonably designed. The conductive membrane positioning substrate 2 is fixed in the flow cavity 101, providing an installation environment for the cell-bearing conductive membrane 3 used to carry cells. The upper cover 4, together with the sealing ring 6, can seal the flow cavity 101 with its upper opening, ensuring that the liquid can move in the flow cavity 101. The cell-bearing conductive membrane 3 can transmit the cell potential signal in real time through the signal output electrode 5 and connect to the electronic detection equipment set outside the platform, thereby collecting the cell potential signal under simulated blood flow conditions.

[0036] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, at least one laminar flow groove 201 and at least one turbulent flow groove 202 are provided on the conductive film positioning substrate 2, and at least two cell-bearing conductive films 3 are provided, with at least one cell-bearing conductive film 3 provided in the laminar flow groove 201 and at least one cell-bearing conductive film 3 provided in the turbulent flow groove 202.

[0037] In this embodiment, in order to more realistically simulate blood flow conditions, two different shaped grooves are provided on the conductive film positioning substrate 2, namely laminar flow groove 201 and turbulent flow groove 202. Multiple cell-bearing conductive films 3 are provided, which can be fixed in the laminar flow groove 201 and turbulent flow groove 202 by attachment. When the liquid flows through the two grooves, different shear stresses will be generated, which can simulate the potential signal of the cell at two different positions.

[0038] In some embodiments, the laminar flow groove 201 has a length of 8-12 mm and a width of 4-6 mm; the turbulent flow groove 202 has a semi-circular diameter of 4-6 mm and a length of 8-12 mm.

[0039] For example, the laminar flow groove 201 can have a length of 10 mm and a width of 5 mm; the turbulent flow groove 202 has a semi-circular diameter of 5 mm and a length of 10 mm. It is understood that the above-described specific dimensional limitations of the laminar flow groove 201 and the turbulent flow groove 202 are merely examples and not limitations on the present invention. In some embodiments, the length of the laminar flow groove 201 can be any value within the range of 8 to 12 mm, and the width can be any value within the range of 4 to 6 mm; the width of the turbulent flow groove 202 can be any value within the range of 4 to 6 mm, and the length can be any value within the range of 8 to 12 mm.

[0040] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, at least two laminar flow grooves 201 and at least two turbulent flow grooves 202 are provided on the conductive film positioning substrate 2. The laminar flow grooves 201 and turbulent flow grooves 202 are arranged on the conductive film positioning substrate 2 in a uniformly spaced manner. Each laminar flow groove 201 and each turbulent flow groove 202 is provided with a cell-bearing conductive film 3.

[0041] In this embodiment, the laminar flow grooves 201 and turbulent flow grooves 202 are arranged on the conductive film positioning substrate 2 in a uniformly spaced manner, meaning they are arranged in the manner of ABAB...AB, where A represents the laminar flow groove 201 and B represents the turbulent flow groove 202. The spacing between each laminar flow groove 201 and the adjacent turbulent flow groove 202 is equal, so that multiple laminar flow positions and multiple turbulent flow positions can be simulated simultaneously.

[0042] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, there are four laminar flow grooves 201 and four turbulent flow grooves 202, resulting in eight cell-bearing conductive membranes 3 and eight signal extraction electrodes 5. Each cell-bearing conductive membrane 3 is connected to one signal extraction electrode 5 to extract the cell potential signal at the corresponding detection location. The effect of simulating hemodynamics at different locations can be achieved by controlling the flow velocity of the water flow in the blood flow cavity.

[0043] In some embodiments, in order to enable realistic blood flow simulation to achieve a set hemodynamic effect, such as Figure 2As shown, the vascular cavity simulation platform includes a fluid inlet power unit 7, a control unit 8, and a flow velocity sensor 9. The flow velocity sensor 9 collects the flow velocity signal at the corresponding location, and the control unit 8 converts the corresponding flow velocity signal into shear stress. The control unit 8 then controls the power output of the fluid inlet power unit 7 based on the shear stress, so that the hemodynamic effect at the detection location can achieve the set effect. That is, in this embodiment, shear stress is used as a parameter to characterize the working condition of cells under blood flow conditions. Different shear stresses represent the working conditions of cells under different hemodynamic conditions. By adjusting the fluid inlet power unit 7, the cells can be placed in the set working conditions, thereby realizing the acquisition of cell potential signals under various set working conditions to meet various experimental needs.

[0044] Specifically, the liquid inlet power unit 7 is connected to the first channel 102 or the second channel 103 to provide power for injecting liquid into the flow chamber. The signal output terminal of the control unit 8 is connected to the signal input terminal of the liquid inlet power unit 7. The flow rate sensor 9 is used to collect the flow rate signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane 3. The signal output terminal of the flow rate sensor 9 is connected to the signal input terminal of the control unit 8 to feed the flow rate signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane 3 to the control unit. The control unit 8 is used to calculate the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane 3 based on the flow rate signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane 3, and control the operation of the liquid inlet power unit 7 based on the set shear stress threshold so that the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane is within the set shear stress threshold range.

[0045] In this embodiment, the control unit 8 can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. The liquid inlet power unit 7 can be a pump assembly, such as an electrochemical pump, which can be connected to the first channel 102 or the second channel 103 through a pipeline to introduce liquid into the flow chamber 101 at a certain flow rate, wherein the liquid can be stored in a storage container outside the platform. In some embodiments, there can be two liquid inlet power units 7, which are respectively connected to the first channel 102 and the second channel 103, and the two liquid inlet power units 7 can be respectively connected to a storage container for storing liquid, so that the first channel 102 or the second channel 103 can be used as the liquid inlet port, and the second channel 103 or the first channel 102 can be used as the liquid outlet port. The flow rate sensor 9 can be a differential pressure sensor, which is set at the corresponding detection position, that is, one sensor is set at each cell-bearing conductive membrane 3 position (laminar flow groove 201 or turbulent flow groove 202) to detect the corresponding liquid flow rate signal.

[0046] Taking the control of shear stress at point 3 of a conductive membrane supported by a cell as an example, the set shear force threshold is a range value, such as (F a F b If the shear stress F at point 3 of the conductive membrane currently carried by the cell is less than F... a The control unit 8 then controls the inlet power unit 7 to increase its working power, thereby increasing the shear stress F until it reaches the range value (F). a F b If the shear stress F at point 3 of the conductive membrane currently carried by the cell is greater than F... a The control unit 8 then controls the inlet power unit 7 to reduce its operating power in order to reduce the shear stress F until it is within the range (F). a F b If the shear stress F at point 3 of the current cell-bearing conductive membrane is within the range (F... a F b Inside, the control unit 8 controls the liquid inlet power unit 7 to maintain the current operating parameters until the experiment ends.

[0047] In some embodiments, when the cell-supported conductive membrane 3 is disposed in the laminar flow groove 201, the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane 3 is calculated as the laminar shear stress based on the flow velocity signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane 3, and the control unit 8 calculates the laminar shear stress using the following formula:

[0048]

[0049] In the formula, F1 represents the laminar shear stress, μ represents the liquid viscosity coefficient, and u x1 y1 represents the relative velocity of the liquid plane in the laminar flow groove, and y1 represents the thickness of the liquid surface in the laminar flow groove.

[0050] In some embodiments, when the cell-supported conductive membrane 3 is disposed in the turbulent groove 202, the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane 3 is calculated as the turbulent shear stress based on the flow velocity signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane 3, and the control unit 8 calculates the turbulent shear stress using the following formula:

[0051]

[0052] In the formula, μ is the viscosity coefficient of the liquid, u x The value represents the relative velocity of the liquid plane in the turbulent groove, y represents the thickness of the liquid surface in the turbulent groove, ρ is the liquid density, and l is the path of the turbulent molecules in the vertical direction.

[0053] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the fluid dynamics flow cavity base 1 and the upper cover 4 are respectively provided with the same number of first mounting holes 104 and second mounting holes 402, and also include the same number of fastening bolts 10 as the first mounting holes 104 and second mounting holes 402. The fastening bolts 10 tightly assemble the fluid dynamics flow cavity base 1 and the upper cover 4 through the first mounting holes 104 and second mounting holes 402.

[0054] Understandably, the connection method of the fluid dynamics flow cavity base 1 and the upper cover 4 described above is merely an example and is not a limitation of the present invention. In some embodiments, the connection method of the fluid dynamics flow cavity base 1 and the upper cover 4 can also use snap-fit, integrated cover, or other methods to replace the above-mentioned assembly method using bolts.

[0055] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vascular cavity simulation platform, characterized in that, include: A fluid dynamics flow cavity base, wherein a flow cavity with an open top is provided inside the fluid dynamics flow cavity base, and a first channel and a second channel are respectively connected to the two ends of the flow cavity; A conductive film positioning substrate is disposed within the flow cavity; A cell-supported conductive membrane is fixed to a conductive membrane positioning substrate; The upper cover is connected to the upper end of the fluid dynamic flow cavity base via a sealing ring to seal the flow cavity; A signal output electrode, one end of which is connected to the cell-supporting conductive membrane, and the other end of which is sealed and exits the upper cover through a signal output through-hole provided on the upper cover; The conductive film positioning substrate is provided with at least one laminar flow groove and at least one turbulent flow groove, and the cell-bearing conductive film is provided with at least two, at least one of the cell-bearing conductive films is provided in the laminar flow groove, and at least one of the cell-bearing conductive films is provided in the turbulent flow groove; It also includes a liquid inlet power unit, a control unit, and a flow rate sensor; wherein, the liquid inlet power unit is connected to the first channel or the second channel and is used to provide power for injecting liquid into the flow chamber; the signal output terminal of the control unit is connected to the signal input terminal of the liquid inlet power unit; the flow rate sensor is used to collect the flow rate signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane; the signal output terminal of the flow rate sensor is connected to the signal input terminal of the control unit to feed the flow rate signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane to the control unit; the control unit is used to calculate the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane based on the flow rate signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane, and control the operation of the liquid inlet power unit based on a set shear stress threshold so that the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane is within the set shear stress threshold range.

2. The vascular cavity simulation platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laminar flow groove has a length of 8-12 mm and a width of 4-6 mm; the turbulent flow groove has a semi-circular diameter of 4-6 mm and a length of 8-12 mm.

3. The vascular cavity simulation platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive film positioning substrate is provided with at least two laminar flow grooves and at least two turbulent flow grooves. The laminar flow grooves and turbulent flow grooves are arranged on the conductive film positioning substrate in a uniformly spaced manner. Each laminar flow groove and each turbulent flow groove is provided with a cell-bearing conductive film.

4. The vascular cavity simulation platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the cell-supported conductive membrane is disposed in the laminar flow groove, the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane is calculated as the laminar shear stress based on the flow velocity signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane. The control unit calculates the laminar shear stress using the following formula: In the formula, Represents laminar shear stress. Indicates the viscosity coefficient of a liquid. This indicates the relative velocity of the liquid plane in the laminar flow groove. This indicates the thickness of the liquid surface in the laminar flow groove.

5. The vascular cavity simulation platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the cell-supported conductive membrane is disposed in the turbulent groove, the shear stress at the cell-supported conductive membrane is calculated as the turbulent shear stress based on the flow velocity signal at the cell-supported conductive membrane. The control unit calculates the turbulent shear stress using the following formula: In the formula, The viscosity coefficient of the liquid. This indicates the relative velocity of the liquid plane in the turbulent groove. This indicates the thickness of the liquid surface in the turbulent groove. For the density of the liquid, This represents the path of turbulent molecules in the vertical direction.

6. The vascular cavity simulation platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fluid dynamic flow cavity base and the upper cover are respectively provided with the same number of first mounting holes and second mounting holes, and also include the same number of fastening bolts as the first mounting holes and second mounting holes. The fastening bolts tightly assemble the fluid dynamic flow cavity base and the upper cover through the first mounting holes and second mounting holes.

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